a. Field of Invention
The invention relates generally to log-in systems to open up a master website with a gateway for easy access to any of a plurality of subscriber websites, without website-specific log-in. The system has a single log-in for the master website that is based on user friendly, easy to remember, steps. More specifically, the present invention system utilizes a gateway master website log-in that is a dual intersecting challenge presentation to solve with a secret user rule to obtain web access. One of the challenge presentations is an array of alphanumeric characters and the other may be any set of differentiating items that intersect (overlap) the first. Thus, the second challenge presentation could be positional indicia, colors, shapes, things, etc.
b. Description of Related Art
The following patents are representative of a log in system:
U.S. Pat. No. 7,073,067 B2 to Len L. Mizrah describes an authentication server that provides a clue to a client indicating a random partial subset of a full pattern that characterizes a full digitized path on a frame of reference, and the client enters a data to fulfill an authentication factor suggested by the clue. The full pattern consists of an ordered set of data fields, which store parameters that specify the full digitized path on a reference grid for recognition. The server presents an instance of a graphical representation of the frame of reference, including an array of random indicators at data field coordinates in the frame of reference. The server accepts indicators from the array of indicators corresponding to coordinates along said digitized path identified by the random partial subset as input data to fulfill the authentication factor.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,073,055 to Micheal Freed et al. describes a system and methods for providing distributed and dynamic network services to remote access users. One of the methods includes providing a first certificate for requesting dynamic network services by a user network entity, and at least one second certificate for requesting static network services by the user network entity. According to one method, a user of the user network entity may generate a first message to request dynamic network services from a network service provider entity. For example, the first message may include the first certificate, a digital signature generated with a private encryption key associated with the certificate and list of network service that the user whishes to set up dynamically. In one embodiment, when the network service provider entity receives the first message, the network service provider entity verifies the authenticity of the first certificate and, if the first certificate is authentic, the network service provider entity configures a network connection between the user network entity and a network based on the network services requested by the user in the first message.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,059,516 B2 to Shinako Matsuyama et al. describes a person authentication system, a person authentication method, an information processing apparatus, and a program providing medium authenticate a person who uses an information apparatus in data communication. A person authentication certificate storing a template which includes person authentication data is used in the person authentication system. A person authentication execution entity checks the validity of the certificate on the basis of a certificate expiration date, a certificate usage number limit, or a template expiration date in person authentication processing on the basis of the certificate. The person authentication is executed by comparing the template with sampling information input by a user if the validity is confirmed. A person identification certificate authority updates the certificate or the template according to the request of the authenticated person.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,062,707 B1 to Christopher L. Knauft et al. describes a system and method of generating index information for electronic documents. The system includes a client and one or more information retrieval (IR) engines, such as a search engine, which are each in communication with each other via a network.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,007,168 B1 to Takeshi Kubo et al. describes an authentication apparatus, coordinates input from a coordinate detector via a plurality of discontinuous holes or openings, cutouts or marks provided on a member which is used to specify the coordinates are detected, and an authentication is made based on a comparison result of the detected coordinates and a plurality of registered coordinates.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,934,860 B1 to Richard J. Goldstien describes a system, method and articles of manufacture are provided for password protecting user access to a computer system. One or more images are displayed to a user. The user is then required to perform a sequence of actions involving the images. The performed sequence of actions is compared with a predefined sequence of actions. If the performed sequence of actions matches the predefined sequence of actions, user access is permitted.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,332,192 B1 to Marc D. Boroditsky et al. describes an invention that features a method for providing a user access to a secure application. The invention stores in an encrypted form the form the authentication information necessary to satisfy the authentication requirements of the secure application. When the user requests access to the secure application, the user is presented at his or her display with a request for authentication. The user must manipulate at least a portion of the symbol to respond properly to the authentication request. The user's manipulation(s) of the symbol(s) generate a CodeKey used to decrypt the encrypted stored authentication information into a result. After the result is created, it is provided to the secure application. If the result support's the secure application's authentication requirements (i.e., if the CodeKey has properly decrypted the encrypted stored authentication information), the user will be granted access to the secure application. The invention therefore provides a simple, secure and effective method for user to gain access to a multitude of secure applications without having to recall a series of complicated passwords.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,209,104 B1 to Reza Jalili describes an invention that is a secure data entry and visual authentication system that allows a user to securely input and communicate data, including passwords. The system includes a client subsystem, a server subsystem and a communication subsystem. Server subsystem generates a pseudorandomly arranged display image including a plurality of icons associated with data, and transmits said display images to client subsystem for display on a display device. A user consecutively selects at least one said icons corresponding to data desired to be input. Selected icon location information for those selected icons is communicated by client subsystem to server subsystem, which then compares that selected icon location information to icon location information and associated data stored in memory to ascertain the data input by the user.
United States Patent No. 2002/0053035 A1 to Daniel Schutzer describes a method and system for strong, convenient authentication of a web user makes use, for example, of a computing device, such as a user's personal computer (PC), coupled over a network, such as the Internet, to one or more servers, such as the host server of an authenticating authority, as well as one or more databases of the authenticating authority. The authentication process is broken into three phases, namely a registration phase, an enrollment phase, and a transaction authentication phase, with each phase being less intrusive and less secure than the preceding phase. In the registration phase, an authenticating authority registers the user based upon identification of the user using strong authentication technique and provides an authenticating token to the user, which can be used in the enrollment phase to enroll one or more user devices for the user. Thereafter, in the transaction authentication phase, the authenticating authority can authenticate the user for a transaction based on presentation by the user of a user password via the enrollment user device.
United States Patent No. 2002/0029341 A1 to Ari Juels et al. describes an enrollment and authentication of a user based on a sequence of discrete graphical choices is described. A graphical interface presents various images and memory cues that a user may associate with their original graphical choices. Enrollment may require the input to have a security parameter value that meets or exceeds a threshold. An acceptable sequence of graphical choices is converted to a sequence of values and mapped to a sequence of codewords. Both a hash of the sequence of codewords and a sequence of offsets are stored for use in authentication the user. An offset is the difference between a value and its corresponding codeword. Authentication requires the user to enter another sequence of discrete graphical choices that is approximately the same as original. The offsets are summed with the corresponding values before mapping to codewords. Authentication requires the sequence of codewords, or hash a thereof, to match.
United States Patent No. 2001/0039618 A1 to Tomihiko Azuma describes a user authentication method is provided which can provide high levels of security without a need for installing any special apparatus on a user over a network. A numeric value randomly produced by a service providing site is transmitted to a user terminal and a calculation result obtained by applying the numeric value to a numerical calculation method memorized by the user is returned back to the service providing site. The service providing the site judges whether the calculation result is right or wrong to perform a user authentication. There is no need for installing any additional device on the service providing site. Information used for the user authentication is not broken, thus avoiding abuse for the user authentication.
Notwithstanding the prior art, the present invention is neither taught nor rendered obvious thereby.